"The satirist who writes nothing but satire should write but little - or it will seem that his satire springs rather from his own caustic nature than from the sins of the world in which he lives"

Anthony Trollope points to a subtle ethical line that satirists must walk. When a writer devotes themselves entirely to satire, producing it incessantly, there is a danger that the tone of their work will lose its grounding in moral purpose and instead appear to stem from an innate bitterness or cynicism. Satire is generally valued for its capacity to illuminate societal ills, hold up a mirror to collective folly, and prompt reflection or reform. Its effectiveness relies on the reader perceiving that the satirist's barbs are leveled in service of exposing injustices, hypocrisies, or absurdities present in their society. Satire acts as a kind of corrective, a form of criticism rooted in concern for the common good.

Trollope warns, however, that if a writer never shifts their voice, never tempers their satire, and instead consistently produces nothing but scornful commentary, the underlying motive may be called into question. What at first reads as a righteous or witty critique can, through repetition and excess, curdle into mere spleen or personal acrimony. When all the world appears to a writer deserving of caustic ridicule, that writer risks becoming associated not with principled observation but with a relentless negativism. The satirist then appears more preoccupied with denouncing than with understanding, more interested in the performance of wit than in remedying wrongs.

Satire, therefore, should not become an indiscriminate outpouring of sarcasm or derision. When used sparingly and purposefully, it can sting with just effect and call audiences to awareness. Overused, it loses both its point and its power, blurring into a revelation of the author's own temperament rather than of the world’s failings. Trollope’s insight suggests that moral authority in satire depends on self-restraint; the satirist who writes little writes best, because their words retain the weight and edge that come from true engagement with society’s real errors.