I recall a sutta which spoke of how anger becomes wisdom and desire become compassion, when their true nature is seen through insight (my recollection - perhaps someone has a ready reference?).
I also recall Ajahn Chah when asked how it happened that he was such an enlightened monk, replied "Because I had such great defilements." Turns out he was an extremely lustful young monk. And apparently once after an extended retreat to tackle just this problem, when a young and fully clothed village girl brought him some dana, he got aroused from just seeing her feet (again my recollection may be dodgy, but the point stands, I think).
So those of us who are prone to anger and desire (anyone?

I see all this not as a license to indulge anger and desire of course (both Ajahn Chah and Myokyo-Ni are explicit about that) but to redeem them as misunderstanding or a misdirected energy, rather than thoroughly bad and rejoice in the energy that fuels them, especially as we begin to see the source of this misdirection.
Any thoughts?
_/|\_
PS If the mods feel it more appropriate, please move this topic to the Dhammic Free-for-all forum.