Tell us how your country celebrated National Day, and we shall tell you who you are. Our patriotism crazes, or lack thereof, have been intently studies by researchers. Initially, the findings were confusing. Logically, the world’s least patriotic nation shouldn’t be Germany, Europe’s richest country – but it is. Indians, who live in a place where little kids starve to death openly on the streets shouldn’t be so inclined to say that their country is the best in the world – but they do. Nearly half of Indians idealise their motherland (compared to 5% of Germans), according to the World Values Survey. And what do Saudi Arabians have to be so proud of? Its medieval torture methods? Maybe – what we know is that Saudi Arabia and its dictatorship cousin Thailand are among the world’s most patriotic countries, as is violence-ridden South Africa.

On the list of extremely patriotic nations, we also find United Arab Emirates (known for its repressive government), and Indonesia (infamous for police brutality). Interestingly, the world’s least patriotic countries top international comparisons in terms of welfare, respect for human rights, social harmony, work/life balance, health and subjective wellbeing – Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and France. Ninety-five per cent of the French don’t think that their country is the best – but a large fraction of Filipinos, a forced child labour haven, do. In socially progressive Sweden, 80 per cent don’t celebrate National Day – a large fraction couldn’t even say when it is – and very few Swedes would ever call themselves patriots, according to a survey.

Must we draw the conclusion that the crappier a country is, the more patriotic its citizens claim to be? It’s not that simple, according to research analysts at the US-based opinion research centre. National pride, they conclude, is more strongly expressed in new countries and in nations that have overcome oppression. While that one is a no-brainer, the research team also said that countries dealing with conflict or tension tend to be more patriotic. So, what does that say about us?

While the Mauritian attitude to patriotism hasn’t been studied internationally, we know from experience that we consider patriotism a virtue, a must, and a civic duty. Obviously, we are a new country, but are we also a nation dealing with societal tension? Of course we are – and we need to be mature enough to acknowledge that. Perhaps it’s time for us to be less simplistic about patriotism. National pride and introspection aren’t mutually exclusive. Do we have to repeat the words “one country, one nation” like sheep, or should we dare ask ourselves some serious questions now? What if we’re not actually one country, one nation but many people, one nation?

Patriotism isn’t always helpful. Realism and rationalism – to see a country for what it is, with its positive and negative sides – are the real heroes. Germany has understood that, and so should Mauritius. But perhaps we’d rather go chill with Saudi Arabia and wave our flags around.

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