People typically look at the concept of independence this way: "If I do something by myself, alone, then I'm independent; if I do something at all in collaboration with someone else, I'm not independent."

This is erroneous. While being independent sometimes involves, as a byproduct, doing something on your own, this is not the definition or core of independence. To be independent means to think objectively, for yourself--and to be willing to accept the responsibility of judgment for matters important to your life, great and small.

You can be independent in a crowded room, or all by yourself. What makes you independent is your willingness to think.