Wanted: A life free from compromises

From the days of lone wandering men, who would only be subdued by raw strength, human beings have moved on to families and later to societies -- only to find themselves yielding in addition to emotions and societal forces. The ones who have fit themselves well into the familial and societal frameworks find no burden, but the ones who are yet to be molded, who still consider themselves free, and who laugh at "what's not good for a beehive isn't good for the bee either," and to whom individuality has a greater importance than society -- feel an increasing burden of emotional and societal restrictions. Who is ahead of whom, and who's in the wrong path, it is difficult to say. While on one hand the societal assurance, and the familial support is all but necessary, the compromises one has to make to keep them up is painful. Perhaps the need is for balance, but how and how much?