The ascending patterns can certainly manifest the inherent tension between push and pull, particularly in the exploration of unfolding and emerging values. However, QPA is a creative tool at heart, designed to to achieve two outcomes: develop pathways toward aspirational futures, and recognize the shifting nature of the future that desires to emerge from evolutionary complexity (ontological unpredictability vs. the linear expression of epistemological uncertainty that merely tackles the probable, plausible or even possible futures that stem from dominant narratives). As with all good foresight, no one tool or methodology will paint a full picture, and QPA is best deployed when teams are looking for transformative emergence (ie. evolutionary futures literacy - in this way, QPA is a tool to develop constructivist futures, new images of the future, and even the agency, pathways and objectives that define Hope Theory - BTW, this is why I'm not a big fan of using dystopias to incite action that avoids negative outcomes. History is littered with fear-laden warnings that failed to alter humanity's course. If fear produced lasting change, the mountain of dystopic stories we've produced would have long ago transformed our world for the better. As Fred Polak noted, it's positive images of the future that inspire hope, innovation and aspirational change). There is a way to use QPA three-dimensionally, stopping at any point and moving horizontally instead of vertically through the tool, and thereby deeply investigating how any particular value or impact might manifest differently or segue into a new branch of outcomes.