The Tank's Pledge (a damned fool's idealistic notion)

[Jimoori]

tanking is really nice for us masochists.

[VanilleFang]

Healer's have a code of conduct too. See my signature as reference! 8)

[Lilyth]

Loved the pledge! Have my like 8D

[Twilite]

Yes I'm here to be hit in the face by mobs and toss my tools at them so everyone else can walk away squeaky clean.

[AlexiIvaniskavich]

Sometimes, with my friends, I like to turn the boss toward them just before a cleave..... #tankconfessions

[Iagainsti]

Sometimes, with my friends, I like to turn the boss toward them just before a cleave..... #tankconfessions

I kept doing this in T5 with my FC last night. No wipes despite my best intentions to do so xD

[Twilite]

I like it when stupid people stand behind me.

[Asheilin]

I tanked in previous MMOs, but haven't started in XIV because I really dont know which tank I want to focus on.
That said, I think you're pretty spot on OP. Though my last point has made me not the best friend of DPS who prefer to test the limits
The mentality I kept from before:
I am a tank. My job is to Keep the Enemies on me. I am the one who must ensure others do not take unnecessary damage. I lead my team towards victory.
I have to know the Healers well enough, their abilities or themselves, to know how much I can take and be ensured of survival.
I have to know the DPS, what they're capable of and balance that with the Healer's Output.
I MUST know the encounters well enough to explain them to new players, be able to objectively know why if we fail, and explain new solutions.
I will at least say Hello upon entry of EVERY dungeon. If you strike up a conversation I will participate as pulls allow.
I hope my Healer is smart enough to run towards me if they have something on them that I failed to keep, instead of taking off to locations unseen.
I expect the DPS to understand my role and not pull more for me. I'm not for stated reasons, or mp/tp resources, and therefore I will let you tank it until you're about to die. Including keeping them off the Healer and Other Dps while I watch you die if you wont learn to abide your Role. If the Healer saves you, I'll be keeping it off the Healer, but you might have learned something.

[Jim_Berry]

I cannot abide by this pledge. I play as a PLD as my preferred tank, and I'm frowned upon because I have no STR build.

[Jim_Berry]

Not going to lie; when I'm on my PLD, it always feels like I'm there alone. No one really talks to me, no one asks for help, and most of the times, they forget I was ever there when the battle is done. They usually talk about how great the DPS did damage, or how awesome the Healer(s) recovered an almost-losing fight.

I just have the mentality now that I'm just there to assist in ensuring a successful run. Even when another tank is there, I always assume I'll be MT. The last time I was OT was when Titan, Ifrit, and Garuda HM were a thing, and I was OT on Ifrit for Stun spam.

It's funny because, when there's another PLD there with more HP than me, they make me MT because the group believe he has more/better gear than me to be capable of going DPS stance. Other times, if I have more HP, they still make me MT to be able to take more hits than the other guy.