Alex McLean's "problem" is about the gap between what a person might be and what they can actually feel about themselves. The speaker admits they may be good enough, pretty, even the nicest person around, but each claim is cut short by a "but." The words sound like facts someone else could believe, while the speaker can't take them in. That doubt runs through every line.
The most telling moment comes near the end of the first stanza: "I hear the bad things you say but the good go through me." Criticism sticks, and kindness slides straight past. The poem then drops to two short lines, stating the "problem" plainly: the speaker doesn't see their own self worth. The mood is quiet, honest, and a little weary. There's no anger here, just someone naming a painful pattern. The simple, direct language makes it feel like a private confession, and many readers will recognize the feeling.