"LISP has jokingly been described as “the most intelligent way to misuse a computer”. I think that description a great compliment because it transmits the full flavour of liberation: it has assisted a number of our most gifted fellow humans in thinking previously impossible thoughts."

This is obviously a compliment; it even mentions that word.

Even a less positive remark than this would still be resounding compliment from a computer scientist who said things such as that BASIC causes irreparable brain damage!

So count this as a piece of evidence that he liked Lisp.

Lisp emphasizes structured approaches, and from the start it has encouraged (though not required) techniques which avoid destructive manipulation. There is a lot in Lisp to appeal to someone with a mindset similar to Dijkstra.