Robbing the Cradle

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Andsigil

So after living almost 2700 years, wouldn't someone like Arwen view any mortal as childlike (at best) in their accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and outlook on life? Or are we to believe that Aragorn was just that exceptional?

One might think Arwen would harbour some contempt for Men as mortal and overall weaker, as did many of the Elves apparently.
However, Aragorn wasn't just a homeless wanderer (*cough* Beren *cough*). He was the Heir of Isildur, the potential King of both Arnor and Gondor. Moreover, she would have known of their kinship. Aragorn was at many removes her cousin, so he wouldn't have appeared as 'baseborn' and 'lowly' to her as, say, Barliman Butterbur.
In the end though, it was simply 'meant' for the two to fall in love, I think. Like Lúthien and Idril before her, Arwen disregarded the brevity of mortal life and let love guide her.

[Andsigil]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

One might think Arwen would harbour some contempt for Men as mortal and overall weaker, as did many of the Elves apparently.
However, Aragorn wasn't just a homeless wanderer (*cough* Beren *cough*). He was the Heir of Isildur, the potential King of both Arnor and Gondor. Moreover, she would have known of their kinship. Aragorn was at many removes her cousin, so he wouldn't have appeared as 'baseborn' and 'lowly' to her as, say, Barliman Butterbur.
In the end though, it was simply 'meant' for the two to fall in love, I think. Like Lúthien and Idril before her, Arwen disregarded the brevity of mortal life and let love guide her.

I wasn't thinking so much of the racial man/elf thing. It's more a question of maturity, and when someone has lived almost 3 millenia, I would think the "been there, done that" mindset would make even the wisest 70 year old human seem almost giddy and childlike.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Andsigil

I wasn't thinking so much of the racial man/elf thing. It's more a question of maturity, and when someone has lived almost 3 millenia, I would think the "been there, done that" mindset would make even the wisest 70 year old human seem almost giddy and childlike.

Well, when considering the question, the racial aspect is bound with it, as that's the reason for the diparity in life potential. Arwen's father initially considered the match unsuitable.

But as for Arwen the Fair, Lady of Imladris and of Lórien, Evenstar of her people, she is of lineage greater than yours, and she has lived in this world already so long that to her you are but a yearling shoot beside a young birch of many summers. She is too far above you. And so, I think, it may well seem to her.

Appendix A

However, as far as mental maturity goes, Aragorn was probably her equal. She was really fairly coddled for most of her life, it seems, and I wonder if she honestly knew a great deal about the world in general that didn't concern the Elves. She certainly would have learned much in the way of history and lore from Elrond, but Aragron would have had the edge when it came to practical experience. Perhaps that was a factor in making him seem older than he was.

x/d with Lalwendë, who had a similar thought.