Tabletop RPGs are a group activity, there's no avoiding it. By its very definition, a role requires a team of some sort. A role is a capacity that someone takes in relation to others, like a position on a sports team or a job in a company. If you are adventuring solo, you are doing everything yourself. But an RPG gives you particular responsibilities and positions to fulfill within your party.
Some players might choose to play characters who identify as loners or highly independent. But they should understand that even these individuals will have developed habits that are necessary to function effectively on a team. They should never abandon their party or act against their teammates. No matter what, the players should be collaborating in order to solve problems.
This isn't an aspect of the game intended to restrict the players fun, it's one of the core principles of gaming meant to keep the game from falling apart. The only major RPG to actively encourage players to work against each other is Paranoia, a farcical comedy which is fully intended to end up as a chaotic disaster. A game that's supposed to go smoothly does not put the players in an antagonistic position with one another.
A little bit of conflict between player characters is fine and there are ways to include tension or disagreement between party members without causing a problem. The problem comes when the conflict becomes disruptive and bleeds into gameplay. If a PC is at odds with the overall goals of the team, their player most likely needs to replace them with a more suitable character for the campaign.
Overarching goals (finding treasure, slaying dragons, etc.) are how PCs should stay on track. Even the most independent PC should share the overall goals of the party (otherwise he doesn't belong in the group anyway.) So in order to succeed in those goals, they must rely on cooperation with their teammates to ensure their success. This means they will help their teammates out, whether friends or not. To do otherwise would invalidate their purpose on the team. This is what needs to be understood by players during character creation as well as gameplay.
Here's one piece of advice I often give my players:
Imagine there are three things happening in a scene. One of these events affects you, and the others affect your team or something else in the encounter... see what you can do about those last two things first. (So, don't worry so much about that goblin shooting arrows at you when your ranger is hanging off the side of a cliff, or the Golden Grail is within reach) Interacting with other players and the environment is often more likely to:
1) Further the overall goals of the mission.
2) Keep things tactical and interesting.
3) Not alienate you at the game table.
This isn't as risky a proposition as it seems. If your whole party follows this principle, you will always have somebody watching your back. Let them help you out instead of being the sole caretaker of your own safety. Avoid situations where you are isolated and fighting for your own survival. Be part of something larger by fighting alongside others, and striving to complete the group's shared objectives.
As a DM, keep in mind that if your players are starting to fight against each others' characters more than the campaign's encounters, it may be because they do not feel sufficiently challenged. When players become disinterested in a storyline or bored with inactivity, they tend to create their own conflicts instead. Make sure this is not the case and see if you can address the issue with changes to the story or encounter design. Otherwise, strife between your PCs might be part of a larger problem between the players themselves, in which you will want to address before any feelings are hurt at your game table.
The cooperative aspect of the tabletop is one of the core appeals of the game, and should be understood by players and DMs alike. There is satisfaction to be found in working together, and amazing stories to be told of comrades-in-arms, begrudging allies, or long-time friends. Teamwork is a winning ingredient for a great game!
Happy ventures!
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