Corrected entry: In this episode we learn that to earn points Eleanor needs to have the correct motivation, and doing good things so that she can get into the good place is having corrupt motivations. However when we meet Doug in a later episode he's shown to be a "model human" yet everything he does is so that he doesn't go to the bad place. This doesn't make sense, as his motivations should be corrupt by knowing about the good place at all.
Correction: Which explains why, as we later find out, his point total is nowhere near good enough to reach the Good Place. His good deeds are offset by his corrupted motivations.
That's not what happened at all. His good deeds aren't off-set by corrupt motivations, they're off-set by unintended consequences of good actions, which is why nobody was getting into the Good Place. Doing a good thing, like buying flowers for a loved one gave the expected positive points, but earned negative points for everything associated with the farming, raising, and selling of the flower.
No, Shaun said that because the good place was impossible to get in and it even said no-one arrived at the good place in 500 years.
Correction: The reason Eleanor's motivation is corrupt and not Doug's is because Eleanor was already dead, and knew definitely of the consequences. Though Doug's theory was correct he had no way of knowing what would truly happen if he didn't do good. It is the same with other religions, though Doug was correct in his theory, it still was only a theory that could not be proven. He went to Doug because he knew for certain Doug would be the one person on Earth whose points should have been extremely high.
Correction: I disagree, I think that because his theories weren't confirmed, he has the same chance of getting in as anyone else. There are plenty of other people that do good things because they want better treatment in the afterlife.
The episode makes it clear that Doug is convinced his theory is correct and he even says something along the lines of "I need to do good to get into the good place" (not a direct quote). To Doug his theory is confirmed and that should be enough to corrupt his motivations.
deadexcel
I agree. Doug's motivations for doing good things, are based on the belief that doing good things gets him into the good place. But that's all it is, a belief. Eleanor actually knows the truth and it's only after death, and after the fear of eternal torture, that she tries to be a better person. As for Doug's point total, I think he was so focused on not losing points that he became a passive hermit who rarely did anything. And by not doing anything, there were very few options to earn points.
immortal eskimo