Lazy initialization is a way to save time by not doing something until absolutely necessary. Imagine you're playing a game and you want to get to the next level. You don't want to spend time setting up all the pieces and levels until you actually decide to move on. Lazy initialization means that instead of setting up everything when you first start the game, it only sets up what it needs when it's time to progress. That way, it doesn't waste time on unneeded setup, only what it needs when it needs it.