[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by CSteefel

So I wonder if this isn't Tolkien supporting the lowly mortals here, perhaps showing that the High Elves were a bit prone to overestimating their own value??

Speculating that Elves may have been somewhat prone to thinking highly of themselves is rather like postulating that the Pope may be of Catholic persuasion, isn't it? Take another resident of Imadris, one Lindir:

What!' cried Bilbo. 'You can't tell which parts were mine, and which were the Dúnadan's?'
'It is not easy for us to tell the difference between two mortals' said the Elf.
'Nonsense, Lindir,' snorted Bilbo. 'If you can't distinguish between a Man and a Hobbit, your judgement is poorer than I imagined. They're as different as peas and apples.'
'Maybe. To sheep other sheep no doubt appear different,' laughed Lindir. `Or to shepherds. But Mortals have not been our study. We have other business.'

However much it may have been said in jest, this seems to me to be incredibly rude and dismissive, if not downright racist.