As the others said, it is a job. You do it as long as both of you are satisfied. If either person becomes dissatisfied the relationship can end.

This isn't even a job, it's a contract position. In the UK the two are very different - but I don't know where the OP is based and my understanding is that in the US it's rather different?

I just got asked this on a follow up interview -- for a low-wage contract job with no benefits.

I talked around it, because professionalism is king in a situation where you don't know what else to do, but what's the proper response to something like this?

I mean, the obvious implication is that I will leave the moment something better comes up. I didn't say that of course, but it seems pretty obvious.

Depends on how sneaky the company you are contracting for is. They can ask you that to see if you are honest, but they could easily have fine print in the contract that says "I the undersigned hereby agree to work for <company name> for the duration of X <month(s)/year(s)> and understand failure to do so will result in forfeiting payment." They can also put in clauses that say anything you create while there with them is owned by them. My point is that you have to read the fine print and make sure you know what you are getting into before signing the contract. Let me add, this is a rare occurrence, but just using worst case scenario to provide an advice of being cautious with contracts. As for what to say, you can either be honest or lie and give them reassurance that you will be there for several months or until the job is finished.

"How do I know you won't leave in 2 months?"

If they are so concerned with keeping their employees, maybe they should consider paying better wages or offering benefits. I would have told them that was an absurd question.

It was a bad interview question. Telling them it's a bad interview question, though, is a bad interview answer.

You could instead say, "I probably won't, if you make me feel appreciated here." Not saying that's the best response. Just saying.

I think it's a good idea to prepare for not only the usual interview questions but also some bad ones like this.
BTW, I moved this to the Game Industry Job Advice Board.

Until now I've tried to be courteous first, honest second. A close second, mind you, I'm not going to lie through my teeth all the time. Maybe I should flip those around though.

Sounds almost like me accept the honest comes first, and then the courteous 2nd. I was always quiet and passive and so people thought I was just a pushover. But I was only quiet and passive until it was time for me to not be quiet and passive (when things got too out of hand).

It is perfectly professional to be honest, and you can be politely honest also. Heck, I even do it with a smile. The thing is though, my words are straight to the point, and my demeanor is serious.

I once presented an issue to my HR executive expressing how I would absolutely not do something that I had disagreed with and I questioned the integrity of the business as a whole. I explained myself in a polite and professional way. She sent my complaint all the way to corporate, and they responded.

Don't be afraid to say no, or to be honest. And don't put all of your hope in one thing, perhaps it isn't the place for you if the first requirement is that you be a slave without an opinion.

They can also put in clauses that say anything you create while there with them is owned by them. My point is that you have to read the fine print and make sure you know what you are getting into before signing the contract.

That's fairly standard, at least in the US. I remember that as part of the contract for Radio Shack sales associates. Some go as far as to say anything you create while employed by them is owned by them (a bit more difficult to enforce, but it's still sometimes there) - there's a reason lots of patent apps get filed a year and a day AFTER a person leaves a major corp. If you use company resources, even on your own time, you've got a good chance that what you create could be company property.

Read the contract and understand it before you sign it. That goes with any contract, whether for employment or anything else.

Q: "How do I know you won't leave in 2 months?"

A: "Why, what makes you think I would want to?"

My reply would've probably been this:

Currently, I need this job, so you can trust me to do that job perfectly.

The "Currently" part is clearly an important marker, as it lets them think whatever they deem appropriate. In other words, you don't have to vex them by saying you will leave if (condition) happens. You're grounding your opinion and response in the current facts and not thinking about the uncertain future. You're being pragmatic.

The reason for this is as follows:

"How do I know you won't leave in 2 months?"

This question assumes "something" happens in 2 months. The interviewer is thus asking you to imagine events that could happen in the next 2 months, they are essentially probing your long-term plan. By grounding your answer in the present, you are closing that door to nothingess which is open to miscommunication of intent.

Whatever you imagine will happen in the next 2 months is drastically different from what he/she is imagining. Also, the mere fact you'd be grounding your answer in an unforeseeable future is because you don't want to do that job in the first place and are looking for a way out.

If I apply for a job, it's because it's always the best thing to do at the moment I do so. By grounding myself in the present, I keep my answers truthful without having to guess what happens next, and I don't make commitments I can't keep.

This also all boils down to what JDX_John is saying. Clearly, your interviewer is asking this question for a reason. Has people at this workplace been using the revolving doors lately? Maybe there's something HE/SHE should tell you before you commit to this job...