I'm saying that the entire tale of the Numenorians is obviously supposed to give a message. It's a story of how Men grew mightier, prouder and in all ways superior to any other race of Men to ever live.
Then they grew greedy. They had longer life than any other mortal but they wanted immortality. But it is not simply desire that drove them. Fearing your own death is a natural instinct. If you have longer to think about it, have longer to wait until "The End", the fear will be even worse.
But no matter what their failings, the true Fall of he Numenorians only happened because Sauron was there. And why was Sauron there? Because the Valar allowed him to be. When the Valar stamped out the rest of Morgoth's forces they let slip his most abled and deadly servant.
It is through Sauron's deception and malice that Numenor was undone, not just the Numenorians' own egos.
The Valar are as much to blame as anyone else for allowing his evil to endure and spread across the land.
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we see how any act ultimately turns to good, like Iluvatar predicted in the Ainulindale.
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I always liked that passage.
'Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilъvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.'
My interpretation of that dialogue is Eru created Melkor to be evil. Being evil was his purpose in creation. It's why I don't think Morgoth is truly evil in the modern sense that evil is a choice. He never really had one.