Individual Independence

I hear a lot about individual’s independence like “I am independent” or “I don’t want to be dependent on any body” or “My independence is very important to me I do not want to lose it” so on and so forth.
It forced me to wonder what is this independence people are talking about? Because, I have never been able to understand how a person can be independent and also live in a society, howsoever liberal.
Right from the time I take birth I become a bounded slave and remain so till I breathe my last. Day after day, I get trained to act like a good slave. Any deviation and I get reprimanded. Ultimately, I get programmed to act like a slave and believe to be an independent person. Not a single act of mine is of my own volition.
Each act of mine is either dictated by laid down rules of the society or requested by another person or forced upon me by my selfish desire. So how do I claim to be independent?