Vague Descriptions

[The Might]

Wait, wait, you're tricky.
Looking for what you speak of, I cam across this quote from the UT:

In a letter written in September 1954 my father said: "At the beginning of the Second Age he [Sauron] was still beautiful to look at, or could still assume a beautiful visible shape – and was not indeed wholly evil, not unless all 'reformers' who want to hurry up with 'reconstruction' and 'reorganization' are wholly evil, even before pride and the lust to exert their will eat them up. The particular branch of the High Elves concerned, the Noldor or Loremasters, were always vulnerable on the side of 'science and technology,' as we should call it: they wanted to have the knowledge that Sauron genuinely had, and those of Eregion refused the warnings of Gil-galad and Elrond. The particular 'desire' of the Eregion Elves – an 'allegory' if you like of a love of machinery, and technical devices – is also symbolized by their special friendship with the Dwarves of Moria." ~ note 8 of Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn

Ok, so this a kind of "disease", somewhat like Sméagol's greed for treasure, their greed for knowledge.

Now, who could still be like that... Saruman?