I'm not sure if I understand your question exactly, but I'll try to answer it as best as I can. (Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I'll appreciate learning.)
carbon-carbon single bonds can't always be easily broken. It depends on the structure. For example, the bonds might be unable to be broken due to sterics or thermodynamics or it might be forbidden by quantum mechanics. However, in the last case it would be forbidden either by heat or by light and permitted by the other.