I think it is fine to admire someone for their abilities, but as you said abilities don’t always translate into a characteristics worth admiring. Sometimes, but it’s less common. When I was a teen (pre-internet, twitter, etc.), I idolized a particular musician. Then I went and saw him in concert, and the wacky rambling weirdness that came out of his mouth was laughable. I still admire his skill as a musician, but not so much as a person. LOL!