Lefebvre makes the argument that leisure in the everyday life of the "modern" man is out of necessity, and is geared towards being a break from realism, towards "relaxation." Although many activities today that are deemed to be leisurely are focused on letting go of reality and not having to think for a bit, I found the line distinguishing what is leisure and what is not, very hazy. A person could take a "break" and begin reading a novel, which would be intellectually productive. Even if it was selfish in the sense that it was a crime novel and gave the reader thrill and thus created a distraction, it would still be expanding his mind's imaginary library of fiction. I think Lefebvre's argument relies a lot on the definition of "productive." Tanning at the beach is understandably a selfish activity, however taking a break from doing homework and baking cookies could also be viewed as a selfish distraction, but by the same token it could be viewed as productive, because it requires manual labor and skill, and creates something for many people to enjoy. I think Lefebvre's argument sidesteps this little detail, but before a stand can be taken against him, the question of what is necessarily "productive" should be answered.
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