I always got the feeling 2001 was a movie most people watch solely in order to feel superior to others

I, for one, started watching it for the "Dawn of Man" scenes, became intrigued by the rest, and continued with it. Feeling superior to others didn't enter it at all.

I get that its style of storytelling puts a lot of people off, but it's really one of those movies you have to see to the end before you realize what it's all about (as in, I was going "Oh..." during the last few seconds).