Authentic

Maslow called Self-Actualizers: “spontaneous, simple, and natural”.   They are sincere with their emotions and how they display them.

"Their behavior is marked by simplicity and naturalness and by lack of artificiality or straining for effect. This does not necessarily mean consistently unconventional behavior. His unconventionality is not superficial but essential or internal. It is his impulses, thought, consciousness that are so unusually unconventional, spontaneous, and natural. Apparently recognizing that the world of people in which he lives could not understand or accept this, and since he has no wish to hurt them or to fight with them over every triviality, he will go through the ceremonies and rituals of convention with a good-humored shrug and with the best possible grace." - Maslow

Self-Actualizers are authentic, no pretense exists in them.  They are sensitive to people’s feelings and to avoid hurting anyone will adhere to social norms and in this way they are selfless and kind to others.  However, these circumstances are the exception, because their path is motivated by their need to continually expand.  

Quality of Detachment

The Self-Actualizer desires and gets great gratification in their solitude.  This ability to be alone and not feel loneliness is what Maslow called the “Quality of Detachment”.  It is not only because Self-Actualizers find privacy sacred, but because they have an air of aloofness to them.  Detachment for Maslow comprises of 

“...the need for privacy, the ability to remain above the battle, to remain unruffled and undisturbed.  Self-actualizers are taoistic, in their ability to leave things alone.”  - Maslow 

In an interview filmed in 1968, Dr. Everett Shostrom interviews Abraham Maslow about the “Self-Actualizer”.   On the quality of detachment, which is included with the need for privacy, Maslow compares two types of dog lovers.  The first dog lover is the type of person that would need a pedigree dog.  This dog lover would want the dog to conform to pedigree laws, which may mean cutting off its tail depending on the bread of dog it is.  The Self-Actualizer dog lover would not consider cutting the dogs tail.  It loves the dog exactly for what it is.  This sense of detachment can be summed up beautifully in this quote,

"We love the things we love, for what they are, not for what they ought to be, not for what they use to be, not for what someone else thinks they should be, but for what they are."  -R. L. Frost

The feeling of detachment in the Self-Actualizer is a feeling of a person who is able to allow things to just be and enjoy its essence for simply what it is.  This is what permits Self-Actualizers to maintain poise in the middle of madness, remain composed and serene.

Transcends Culture

The Self-Actualizer may be categorized into a culture, but do not belong to the culture.  They get pleasure from their autonomy and resist enculturation. They do not subscribe to social pressure to be feel they belong or fit-in.  They are free spirited and do not conform to social conventions. 

"Self-Actualizers fall well within the limits of apparent conventionality in choice of clothes, of language, of food, of ways of doing things within culture. And yet they are not really conventional, certainly not fashionable or smart or chic.  These people accept most states of affairs that they consider unimportant or unchangeable or not of primary concern to them as individuals".  -Maslow

They transcend culture because observe and live within the norms of society, but do not allow these laws to govern who they are and what they want to be or do.  They can be seen as rebels, but they are not.  They just are removed, standing apart from society.  If they witness injustice they will exhibit righteous anger.  Since most of the work of the Self-Actualizer is to help improve the state of the world,
 

“...what they settle for is accepting, calm, good-humored everyday effort to improve the culture, usually from within, rather than to reject it wholly and fight it from without.” - Maslow, 

Self-Sufficient

They autonomous nature of the Self-Actualizer makes them independent and permits them not to rely on others for praise.  They are motivated by the desire to expand, grow, and flourish in the world, and in order to do so these individual develop the skill of being self-sufficient.  

They do not seek extrinsic factors to inspire them to move toward growth; rather they are induced to do what they have to do by an intrinsic knowing. - Maslow  

This quality really distinguishes the Self-Actualizer from most of society, which depends on one another for praise, approval, acceptance and love. 

"This independence of environment means a relative stability in the face of hard knocks, blows, deprivations, frustrations, and the like. These people can maintain a relative serenity in the midst of circumstances that would drive other people to suicide; they have also been described as self- contained."  -Maslow

Autonomy is Freedom Within

Self-actualizers gain this sense of autonomy which frees them from society, allowing them to experience inner satisfaction, which bestows them with remarkable internal control.  They do not need nor require the opinion of others.  They have no desire for the adulation of people, because the driving force that propels them is the need for the wisdom that comes from a deeper and more meaningful place inside them and this is what sustains them on the path of life. 

Peace with Duality

Maslow called this area of self-actualization “resolution of dichotomies” because these people are able coexist with the polarities and have them work as if there were no conflict.

"The dichotomy between selfishness and unselfishness disappears altogether in Self-Actualizers because in principle every act is both selfish and unselfish. These people are simultaneously spiritual and pagan, sensual to the point where sexuality becomes a path to the spiritual.  Duty cannot be contrasted with pleasure or work with play when duty is pleasure, when work is play, and the person doing his duty and being virtuous is simultaneously seeking his pleasure and being happy.  If the most socially identified people are themselves also the most individualistic people, of what use is it to retain the polarity?"               - Maslow  

 These people are able to fuse differences and make peace with the duality that exists in the world, as if there is no conflict.

Distinctive Morals

This area is sometimes called and can be seen as the ability to discern between good and evil or discriminate between means and ends.  The average person dealing with daily life experiences is chaotic or at least has some degree of conflict.  The self-actualized person seldom exhibits this behavior.  

“These individuals are strongly ethical, they have definite moral standards, and they do right and do not do wrong.  Needless to say, their notions of right and wrong and of good and evil are often not the conventional ones.”   -Maslow 

Self-Actualizers are pious people, who can be described as being saintly. 

“Self-actualizing people most of the time behave as though, for them, means and ends are clearly distinguishable.”   -Maslow

 

They are fully present in the now and get pleasure from the moment.  Often they see that the experience of the journey (the means) could be just as or more valuable than the goal (the ends).  The means, is the process, and the process is were actual growth is happening.  The Self-Actualizer seek to growth and self-discovery, hence why  he/she places his/her attention on the process and are able to be present to take in the lessons being taught through the process.  This way of being makes life more pleasurable,  The means are where all dreams,  hopes, and desires live, and inspiration is alive.  The end, the results are just part of the whole process, the the means is where the aliveness of being human resides.

Realistic

The self-actualizer has a superior grasp with reality.  They innately have the quality of radical acceptance. 

"They live more in the real world of nature than in the man-made mass of concepts, abstractions, expectations, beliefs, and stereotypes that most people confuse with the world.  They are therefore far more apt to perceive what is there rather than their own wishes, hopes, fears, anxieties, their own theories and beliefs, or those of their cultural group." - Maslow

This way of being affords them to have a heighten abilities for interpreting and knowing what is genuine.  They are able to be more logical, well-organized, and resourceful in their dealings with the world around them.

This understanding on reality allows the self-actualized person to feel less vulnerable when dealing with the unknown and uncertainties.  As a matter of fact, they welcome what mystifies most people.  
This quote by explains this quality beautifully,

 

 However, this does not mean that the Self-Actualizer does not experience the discomfort of the unexplained, uncertain and unknown.  The way they handle uneasiness, 

“...which is for most a torture, can be for some self-actualizers a pleasantly stimulating challenge, a high spot in life rather than a low.” - Maslow