The author, it seems, falls for the same sorts of things I mentioned.
That was not my intent. The point of the essay was exactly the opposite. Maybe I fall for the same stuff, but Eliezer is a very smart guy who was predisposed (as he makes clear in the essay) to believe that the people he met were all fluff. He was surprised that they were not just demonstrably knowledgeable, but, in addition, had other appealing characteristics.
That was not my intent. The point of the essay was exactly the opposite. Maybe I fall for the same stuff, but Eliezer is a very smart guy who was predisposed (as he makes clear in the essay) to believe that the people he met were all fluff. He was surprised that they were not just demonstrably knowledgeable, but, in addition, had other appealing characteristics.