[Finwe]

I think that the Elves genuinely wanted a connection to exist between them and Middle-earth, but they knew that they were "Guardians" not "Owners" in the sense that Men were. My theory is that they were ultimately preparing Middle-earth for the Dominion of Men, just as the Valar and Maiar prepared Middle-earth for the coming of the Children of Iluvatar (Elves and Men). They genuinely loved the land, but they found themselves gradually fading, from memories, and from lore. Only the learned and the scholarly knew about, or rather, understood, the Elves. To the rest of Men, they were a race to be feared and mistrusted, and I think that hurt them. Who wouldn't be hurt by it? The Elves wanted to forge an everlasting connection to Middle-earth, and I think that was their rationale for the creation of the Three Rings. The Elven "block" came into existence when the Elves realized that they would never be able to forge that connection with Middle-earth, and that they were doomed to fade, if they did not sail West.