Our harmful words may have negative consequences that we ever imagined. James Stephens learned that lesson the hard way. Stephens was fired from his job as chief financial officer for the Georgia Subsequent Injury Trust Fund after his boss heard some less-than-flattering commentary, courtesy of an accidental pocket-dial.

Mike Coan, director of the fund and Stephens' supervisor, had a habit of calling after hours. After one such call, Stephens had a heated conversation with his wife about Coan, who was listening after Stephens accidentally called him back.

Consequently, Stephens is filing suit against his boss for eavesdropping and invasion of privacy. David Guldenschuh, the attorney representing both Stephens and his wife, claims that once Coan knew the conversation was intended to be private, he had a legal obligation to terminate the call, referring to the call as "voyeuristic eavesdropping" and "felonious conduct."

Rikki Klieman, legal analyst for CBS News, understands the rationale for the lawsuit, but sees a potential hurdle in its ability to proceed. "What we find here is someone who really believed he had a reasonable expectation of privacy in having a very, very confidential conversation with his wife and that yet, it may not be private at all."

Potential Preaching Angles: The tongue is hard to tame, be careful in our communication, what's done in private can be revealed in public.