Evil things

[HerenIstarion]

Perception - let it go, than

Evil, horrible, awful Noldor re:

Pride is a sin, but that does not mean every proud person is evil

Give it time enough and it will bring you there. Main case - dear old soppy Melkor/Morgoth. Minor case - a lot of kinslaying going about even after Alqualonde. Another minor case - Denethor II, Steward of Gondor. Their name is legion.

Morgoth would have dominated ME

Here, as in physics, speculation goes both ways. If not the Pride of the Noldor, Manwe in person may have headed the renewed pursuit and kicked some arse, which pursuit may have been reversed just 'thanks' to the rebellion of Feanor and his kin. No knowing.

I don't see that it was some frail spark of 'good' which they retained which brought about that good

Not necessarily frail, at that, but it is quite simple . If they have been proud, and proud only, without anything else, whatever driving force it may have been, they would end up nowhere:

Without wits, they would not have been able to judge what was to be done. Without courage, how to cross so great a sea or even how to find food to sustain them once ashore. Without sub creative talents they would not have been able to make swords and build fortresses to hold Morgoth in check, and so forth. So, all good fruit they bore is there as the consequence of them having virtues of reason, courage etc. Rip that off, and with pride as a leftover you get kinslaying and madness only.

On Valar, later