@Twinky You are correct that people's emotions and motivations are rarely just one single thing. Motivation is usually a mix of various things (especially since this author/illustrator is actually a good writer and is talented at showing those layers).
That said, I wasn't really implying that the elves were "young" at the same ages that humans are "young", it was more of a general observation of how men behave. Young men and old men can both have "unwavering perseverance to achive significant goals despite challenges" however the difference between them is that young men tend to keep pushing forward because they are too stupid to know exactly what they are doing or up against whereas old men who have grit keep pushing forward despite knowing exactly what they are doing and up against.
That said, I wasn't really implying that the elves were "young" at the same ages that humans are "young", it was more of a general observation of how men behave. Young men and old men can both have "unwavering perseverance to achive significant goals despite challenges" however the difference between them is that young men tend to keep pushing forward because they are too stupid to know exactly what they are doing or up against whereas old men who have grit keep pushing forward despite knowing exactly what they are doing and up against.