What does the story tell us about how a man should behave?

In the story "In Another Country," the narrator suggests that, even if he has no confidence in certain things, he should maintain hope and try to improve his life. Both the major and the narrator are put on machines, which they have no hope will fix their war injuries. When the major first encounters a photograph of an injury from an industrial accident, a case similar to his, his response is not to trust machines. However, despite that, the narrator mentions that "the major came very regularly to the hospital." Perhaps this is the outlook a man should have on life. Despite not having any reassurance or hope of changing one's life, the least a man can do is put his faith in things in hopes of a better future.
For the narrator, this sense of discipline is the definition of a person's heroic code—not necessarily accomplishments or medals. The narrator suggests that a man shouldn't focus on professional establishments as a way of building relationships with others, because these accomplishments say nothing about a man's conscience. The three "hawks" described in the story lack a sense of bravery and honor, whereas the major, in comparison, has a heroic demeanor as he quietly battles his way through life.