Helping a friend can express a special responsibility created by a relationship, rather than a judgment that strangers matter less. The puzzle arises when loyalty competes with equally serious needs or with obligations of a public role. Friendship and impartial fairness may apply differently in different settings.
Special concern often makes relationships possible: friends expect more than the assistance available from any stranger. But people also occupy roles that give them authority over resources belonging to others. A public official, teacher, or hiring manager cannot automatically use that authority as an extension of private friendship. The puzzle is therefore sensitive to whose time or resources are being allocated, which commitments exist, and whether another person has a stronger claim under the relevant role.