The paper engages in 'paradigmatic talk' about public outcomes of higher education (HE). We were drawn to this paradigmatic discussion because of its inherent 'cultural' dimensions and the opportunity for us to be self-reflexive about the ontological values underlying 'cultures' that shape the articulation, representation, and enactment of HE's public outcomes. While we agree with Marginson and Yang (forthcoming) that comparisons of public outcomes of HE across cultures are not neutral, we argue that such comparisons are rooted in and driven by ontological values and commitments. We offer an analysis of how our understandings of 'public' and 'outcomes' may shift when ontological commitments and values consider representations of culture, public, affect, and temporality.