In my JLPT textbook, 日本語総まとめN1読解, on page17, there are these two sentences (which are both part of a larger paragraph, but I hope I have included enough):
自分{じぶん}なんかにできるわけがないとあきらめる態度{たいど}ほどじれったいものはない
それ以上{いじょう}は望{のぞ}まないというような考{かんが}えの人{ひと}が少{すく}なからずいるのは残念{ざんねん}でならない
A translation for the first sentence is offered in the book, which is, "it is very frustrating to see people giving up on things even before they start." There is no translation given for the second sentence, but it is clear from the lesson it is being offered in that it is saying something like, "it's disappointing that it's no small number of people that think they won't hope for more."
Both sentences seem to be asserting something. That it is frustrating that people give up on things and that the number of people who don't hope is too many.
But when I read the sentences, they seem to me to be negating those premises because they end with ものはない
and でならない
. My reading of them is "it isn't very frustrating to see people giving up on things even before they start," and, "it's not disappointing that it's no small number of people that think they won't hope for more."
Me and the book disagree on whether these sentences are positive or negatve assertions, but I assume it's me that is mistaken somehow.
How is it that these sentences are not negative, in spite of ものはない
and でならない
?